Making Repairs
by PharaohsThrone
Summary: Atem's car breaks down and he ends up running into the one person he thought he'd never see again, and in turn finds out that all things can be repaired, whether it's a car, or a heart. Synchroshipping.


So this is a pretty long one shot that took me _forever_ to write. It's a little angsty, very soppy, and a little nsfw at the end. Enjoy!

* * *

Atem sat in the front seat of his car, head against the steering wheel. His eyes were closed as he lifted his head, only to to slam it against the wheel once again. _When will things start going right again?_ He thought, before opening his eyes and looking back down at the phone in his hand, dead flat.

His car had broken down in an unfamiliar street, and he had no way to call for help. _Fucking fantastic._ After looking around at the houses as he procrastinated, tapping his hands on the steering wheel for a minute or two, he let out a sigh and climbed out of the car. He'd heard of people doing this, but he never thought he would need to, and he stared at the house he had stopped in front of. It looked inviting enough-it was a small single story brick house, with a few pot plants out the front, and a stone path leading to the mail box. He assumed whoever lived there didn't have much time to keep up a garden, and tried to focus on that instead of how stupid he felt, as he approached the door.

He'd stopped on the path and procrastinated for a few more seconds before he'd managed to knock, and Atem only hoped that whoever answered would be happy to help him out. A few tense seconds passed, as he tapped his hands against the side of his thighs, before looking back over to his car. Maybe there was a service station he could walk to-

Atem then heard the door open-too late. He turned back around, but as soon as his eyes met the man standing at the door, he completely froze.

Two sets of wide eyes stared at each other in complete shock, and then various memories slammed into the front of Atem's mind.

 _"I can't believe how inconsiderate you are!" The man yelled, before stalking over the bedroom door. Atem opened his mouth to try and say something, but he was quickly cut off. "Forget it, I'm sleeping on the couch," and their conversation ended with the slam of a door._

Weeks worth of arguing flowed through his mind, along with every insult and curse that had gone along with it. He didn't want to remember all of this now, but with the man standing in front of him he could barely stop it.

 _"Am I not worth that much to you?" Atem asked, standing at the door to the kitchen._

 _The other man was leaning against the bench with straight arms, looking down at the floor. "Atem, I love you. But how can you expect me to just drop my entire life just to blindly follow you to this-this job that you don't even know that you're going to get or not?"_

 _"Sometimes you need to take risks," he argued. "Besides, do you know how incredible this opportunity is? If I get this, you won't have to worry about fixing cars for the rest of your life!"_

 _The other man only sighed and shook his head. "You don't get it."_

Atem could very well remember how all of the fighting had eventually come to a close, as it became evident that neither of them were going to budge.

 _Shoulders slumped, the man looked across the room, only glancing at the broken photo frame once. "Is this it, then?" he murmured._

 _Atem had his arms folded as he lent against the wall, looking down to the side. His jaw was locked tight as he answered, "I guess it is."_

The same face was looking at him now, eyes wide and jaw agape. It had been a whole six months since Atem had last seen him, and he could already see the small things about him that had changed. Before he could focus too much attention on those though, he was yanked back to reality when that familiar voice hit him.

"…A-Atem?" There was a slight pause as the man continued to stare at him. "What are you-"

Mind finally catching up with him, Atem stumbled back. "Yusei." _Oh god._ "I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-I was just-I'll go somewhere else..."

Just his bloody luck that he would knock on the door his _ex's_ house. Feeling beyond stupid, he turned around, heart pounding in his chest as he did so. Before he could even take a step though, that voice spoke again.

"Whoa, wait!" Yusei jumped down the two steps onto the footpath beside Atem. "What's going on? Why are you here?"

The shorter man stopped, and looked over his shoulder at Yusei. His hair was slightly longer than he remembered, he'd traded his old jeans with holes in them-that Atem used to love-for a pair of tight new ones, and he'd pierced his bottom lip. Although there were these small things that weren't a part of the Yusei he had known, it didn't help the feeling that was making itself apparent in the pit of Atem's stomach. The familiarity of the man before him was almost too much. He slowly turned back around to face him, wondering if those eyes were even bluer than before.

"I, well..." he scratched the back of his head, though noticed that Yusei looked genuinely curious. Atem sighed, "My car broke down," he admitted, glancing behind him. "And my phone is dead, so I was just trying to find a way to call roadside assistance." He looked down at his feet then, worrying that if he looked back to Yusei he'd linger on those eyes a little too long.

"I could have a look at it."

Atem looked up in astonishment. Yusei was giving him a small smile. "You...you would do that?" he asked.

"Of course," the man said, stepping forwards along the path. "I am a mechanic, after all," he added with a grin.

Atem turned to slowly walk towards his car, trying to hide the colour that had appeared in his cheeks. "Right, of course. That-that would be great."

As Atem reached his car and popped the bonnet open, Yusei walked around to the front and pulled it up. "So what happened?" he asked.

Atem closed the drivers door, wondering why Yusei was suddenly asking about the job. "Huh?"

"Your car," the taller man said, nodding to the engine, "What happened?"

 _God I'm an idiot._ "Oh, right." Atem began to explain what happened, as he leant against the side of the car, the bonnet hiding Yusei's face from view. After getting all the information he needed, the mechanic began to have a look around the engine, checking for any faults.

There were a few moments of silence, bar the sound of Yusei's fiddling, and Atem folded his arms. This was so weird, he thought. So incredibly weird, and yet he was glad. He didn't think he would see Yusei again, or know what he'd done after Atem left. Though he was still amazed that the man hadn't outright told him to leave. He wouldn't blame the guy, either.

All of their arguments had started back when Atem had been offered a job. It hadn't been completely guaranteed as he was still competing against one other person to get it, but it was the perfect opportunity. The biggest wage he'd ever had, in a position he'd been trying to get for years. He'd expected Yusei to be excited for him, but there was only one problem: it was in another town, hours away.

Atem originally hadn't seen the problem. A great new start in a whole new place with a brilliant job to back him, why would the guy say no? He'd been terribly surprised when he'd first mentioned it to Yusei, and the man had instantly become negative about it.

In those two weeks, not once had Atem really thought about how this would affect Yusei; he had been all too excited about how great it would be for him. So while he continued to argue on how great an opportunity it was, Yusei became more and more aggravated with how he completely disregarded him. While Atem had no problem moving his life a few hours away, Yusei still had family and other attachments to their hometown, and that was something he hadn't managed to grasp.

Atem had been aware that Yusei was in the process of trying to set up his own business, though. He'd been working at a local mechanic's for a few years, and wanted to make his own. What Atem hadn't seemed to understand, was that he didn't do it for the money, he enjoyed pulling apart engines and putting them back together, had been doing it since he was a young teenager.

 _"I can't just drop my entire life for you, Atem. Especially not in the middle of this, I've already settled the deal with the garage."_

 _Atem creased his eyebrows at the man. "So you'd put fixing cars in front of our relationship?"_

 _Yusei turned away from the man then as silence filled the space between them. "You are a huge part of my life," he admitted. "But you're not all of it, and I can't leave all of this behind. Besides, it seems to me like you're putting money in front of our relationship."_

Atem turned to where he could see Yusei looking through his engine. The man's head was ducked under the bonnet, and he could see how his hair fell into his eyes. Atem used to comment on how he should get it cut so that it didn't get in the way, but Yusei always liked having it longer. He turned back to look at the footpath in front of him. There were so many things he wanted to say, but he wasn't sure if he should even bring any of it up. He wanted to apologise, to admit that he was an asshole and at least give Yusei that. But it had been six months, did the man even want to hear it? Atem was half expecting another guy to walk out of the house and prove that Yusei had moved on, though he would hate to see it. Then again, it wasn't like Atem hadn't tried to do the same thing.

The brooding man was then pulled from his thoughts though when Yusei spoke up. "So, how have you been?" he asked, head still hovering over Atem's engine.

Still leaning against the car, Atem unfolded his arms. "Uh, yeah alright," he replied. "How about you?"

Yusei shrugged, glancing up at Atem for a moment, "Not bad."

Atem continued to stare at the man as his gaze moved back down to the engine. Surely this wasn't the same Yusei who he had walked out on. Atem was absolutely sure that his actions would have completely shattered him, if he cared as much as Yusei said he had. So how was he able to stand here and act as if Atem hadn't broken his heart?

 _"Yusei?"_

 _The man looked up from his untouched plate of food, "Hm?"_

 _"Bruno asked you a question," Martha pointed out, indicating to his adoptive brother. Yusei hadn't even heard him. Apologising, he asked Bruno to repeat the question._

 _"I asked how your plans with the garage are going," his brother said, looking at him curiously._

 _The garage. One of the last things that had been on Yusei's mind. "Oh, it's uh…"_ Kind of up in the air cause I can't afford it and the full rent of the house on my own. _"Not bad."_

 _"I hope Atem is helping you out with it," Martha added, "It's a huge task to do on your own."_

 _The name struck a chord, and Yusei tried not to let it show. "Excuse me," he said suddenly, standing from the table. "I think I-swallowed something wrong." The next minute he was gone from the room, having darted down the hallway and into the bathroom._

 _Bruno had taken one look at Yusei's plate of untouched food, before excusing himself as well._

Atem watched Yusei as he checked all the fuses, having fallen into a silence once more. He wondered if Yusei's response before had been a lie or not; his answer certainly was. But in the situation they were in, Atem didn't think it would be a good idea to say ' _well actually my life has been pretty damn shitty without you and I think taking that job was the biggest mistake I could have made.'_ So instead, he simply looked around, trying to find something to say to keep the conversation going.

"How long have you been here?" he finally asked, glancing toward the house. Maybe Yusei would give an indication of if he were the only occupant or not, though Atem feared the answer.

"Uh," Yusei hummed to himself as he looked at a fuse before putting it back in its place. "About…well, almost six months I guess. I couldn't really afford the old place on my own," he shrugged.

Atem let out the breath he hadn't realised he'd been holding. He felt so stupid; that didn't mean that Yusei couldn't have a new boyfriend. He tried to shake the idea out of his head, before looking over at his ex again.

Yusei was leaning against the front of the car as he looked down at the engine, chewing his bottom lip. It was a habit that the man had had for quite a while, something he always did when he was thinking. It was incredibly endearing. Atem knew he shouldn't have been staring like he was, but he couldn't help it, not with Yusei right in front of him after all this time.

Yusei stood up straight then, and as he moved into the sun, its light reflected off of his lip stud. Atem had never even considered the idea of either of them getting piercings before, but he couldn't deny it looked good on him. Not to mention that the man was also sporting a light layer of stubble.

This was not helping that feeling in Atem's stomach, _at all_.

The man hadn't even realised he'd been smiling, until Yusei looked up at him. "Can you turn the car on for me?"

Eyebrows suddenly lifted as Atem was pulled from his daze, suddenly feeling very embarrassed for being caught staring. He tried to reason in his head that it was okay for him to look at Yusei if he were waiting for some sort of answer, while he opened the door and climbed into the drivers seat. As the engine roared to life with a sputter before painfully coming to a stop, he poked his head out the side, watching the mechanic look around with creased eyebrows.

Yusei's eyes suddenly lit up, "Ah, there we go," he said, grinning. He signalled to the man in the drivers seat, "I think I've found your problem."

As Atem stepped out of the car and walked around to the front, Yusei reached in to show him what was wrong. "Your alternator belt is screwed. Not that big of a deal, just needs a replacement." He then reached for his jeans, and stopped, noticing that he didn't have a rag to clean his hands on. Atem couldn't help himself from smiling as Yusei dropped his hand again, laughing to himself. "Your starter motor looks pretty close to going as well," he added, before biting his lip as he looked back to Atem. "I could fix it if we were at the garage, but..." He lifted a hand in a half shrug, looking somewhat apologetic.

Atem quickly jumped in, "Oh no that's fine! Thank you for having a look at it."

"No problem." Yusei gave him a smile as he closed the bonnet, and Atem wanted to look away. _Don't do that to me._ They stood there for a moment, with Yusei trying not to touch his jeans with black hands and Atem trying not to stare. _Trying._

 _Yusei sat on the edge of the bath tub, head in his hands. He knew they would mention Atem, yet he didn't think it would be this bad, he could just smile and nod through the whole dinner and it would be fine, but no. Just by mentioning that specific arrangement of letters was enough to make him crumble. He felt like the very ground he had been standing on had shifted, and it was pulling him down with it._

 _He had that last moment still in his head, when they'd both been standing in the living room, having admitted that it was over. He could still feel his throat burning with the threat of tears, as he turned and stormed off down the hallway. The last image he had of Atem in his head was the man leaning against the wall, eyes shadowed by his hair as he looked at the ground, tension strung through his whole body._

 _That burning feeling was there now, though, and Yusei could barely ignore the ache in his chest anymore. He still couldn't understand why Atem had chosen that job over him._

 _A knock then sounded from the door. "Yusei?" It was Bruno. No doubt he had sensed that something was up. "Are you alright?"_

 _As much as he wanted to lie, to say everything was fine and to keep smiling and push forwards, right now he couldn't._

 _His voice was weak and uneven as he answered, "Not really."_

 _There was only a slight pause, "Can I come in?"_

 _Having been sitting within arms reach of the door, Yusei reached out and opened it, before letting his arms fall into his lap as he looked at the floor. Bruno walked in and closed the door behind him, before kneeling in front of his brother, placing his hands on Yusei's knees. "What's the matter?" he asked._

 _Yusei looked to the side, swallowing. "Atem and I…broke up."_

Yusei then seemed to shift back into gear, as he perked up again. "Right, you need to call R.A. Uh, you can use my phone..."

Atem was about to thank the man, but the words died in his throat as Yusei breezed past him to head back towards the house, a very familiar scent reaching his nose.

It reminded him of so many things. Of low key dinner dates, and late night walks, and the feeling of palms pressed together. It reminded him of playful jabs, and horrible puns followed by cheeky grins. It reminded him of lazy Sunday afternoons curled up on the couch, taking forever to decide what movie to watch. It reminded him of gentle smiles and sensual touches and blissful sounds, and everything that he had adored about being with Yusei.

And oh did it _hurt._

Atem had no idea he could be flung into such a horrible position so very quickly. It was something he both loved and hated, and it was downright unbearable. He loved that he had finally seen Yusei again, but he hated that something as small as the man's cologne could render him speechless and longing for the old days.

It was as he followed Yusei back towards the house that he decided that it didn't matter how much it hurt. He wanted to stay for as long as he could, if only he could hold onto those memories for just a little longer.

As Atem stepped into the house, he was met with a cozy little living room backing onto a kitchen, with a fireplace in the corner and a hallway disappearing to his right. It certainly was a lot smaller than their old place, but as the man followed Yusei over to the kitchen, he could see small bits and pieces scattered about that definitely made the place feel like his.

"Let me just wash my hands and I'll grab the phone for you.." Yusei turned and disappeared down the hallway, while Atem glanced around, spotting a few familiar things. A pillow that Martha had made for him, some old cook books that had never been touched, photos of Bruno, and a few other kids he grew up with…

Eyebrows creased in confusion as Atem noticed one of the photo frames atop the bookcase seemed to have fallen over, face first. Without much thought, he walked over and lifted it up.

A quiet gasp then sounded the minute he laid eyes on the photo. It was taken on Yusei's birthday last year, and used to sit on the very same book case back in the old house. The two of them had been at dinner with Yusei's family, and upon being asked to pose, Atem had wrapped an arm over his boyfriend's shoulder and kissed him on the cheek.

Atem's chest felt incredibly tight. He could remember seeing this photo sitting on the floor in their old home, the frame smashed. It had been an accident; during their argument, Yusei had swung his arm too wide and knocked it off, glass scattering across the floor when it hit. Seeing it here, though, was something else. _He replaced the frame._

Atem was almost too astounded to remember that Yusei had only been washing his hands, so when he heard a door close he almost jumped, before he quickly placed the photo back down and scurried over to where he'd been before, just as Yusei appeared again with the phone. He avoided the man's gaze as he took the phone, before puling out the card in his pocket that he'd grabbed out of his car earlier.

Yusei had busied himself with cleaning dishes while Atem made the call, but he hadn't missed the slight slump of the man's shoulders, or how he suddenly wasn't looking in his direction. When the man hung up a few minutes later, he sighed.

"They're going to be half an hour," Atem groaned, placing the phone back on the bench. "Ten minutes or less my ass," he then added, quoting the ad that usually played on TV.

"That's a pain," Yusei replied, drying his hands before he turned to the kettle. "Do you want a coffee, then?"

Shrugging, Atem nodded. "Sure, why not."

The air was silent as Yusei moved about, grabbing a pair of mugs from the cupboard and brewing up the warm drinks. _This is so weird,_ Atem was still thinking to himself. Although Yusei seemed to be acting completely 'normal' as such, Atem was still trying to figure the guy out. Why was he giving Atem his hospitality, when any other person would've told him to piss off?

 _Bruno was now sitting next to Yusei on the edge of the bathtub, now having heard the full story. "I am so sorry, Yus," he said, an arm around his brother as Yusei tried to hold back tears._

 _"I just, I don't get it," he was saying, glassy eyes staring at the floor. "He wasn't…Atem. He was just so high and mighty about the damn job! I can't believe he just…" left._

 _"I know," Bruno said, rubbing his shoulder comfortingly. "But it'll get better. Things will always get better."_

Atem was contemplating whether or not to bring it up and get it all out in the open, when a mug was placed in front of him. He stared at it with raised eyebrows, he hadn't even mentioned how he liked his-

"White with two sugars, right?" Yusei's voice broke through his thoughts. Atem almost laughed at himself.

"Yes, thanks." _Of course, you'd think that after dating for a year and a half that you'd remember how someone likes their coffee._

Atem stared at the steam coming out of the mug as he moved to sit on the stool that was beside the bench, but before he could, Yusei threw a hand up. "Wait! That chair is broken," he then hurried around the bench top to move it into the corner, laughing somewhat nervously. "I really should have moved it already…"

A few minutes later and one broken chair moved, the pair had seated themselves on the couch, with Atem paying his coffee a lot more attention than what would be considered normal. Their conversation so far had been pretty pathetic, and even though Atem wanted to ask why Yusei was acting as if nothing had ever happened, he couldn't bring himself to do it. Here they were again, sitting together without screaming at each other, and even if it felt awkward it was….nice. Really nice. It was almost pathetic how much Atem had missed Yusei's company.

 _Atem had been in the middle of sorting the large stack of paperwork that had been dumped on his desk, when a figure moved past his door, and stopped. He looked up just as he saw a set of blue eyes regarding him with interest. They weren't as nice a shade of blue as Yusei's-_

 _Stop it. Stop thinking about him._

 _"Ah, there you are," the man said, walking into the office. "I was wondering when I'd see you again." He held himself very regally, each movement swift and measured, like each step, each bat of an eyelash, was carefully planned. His name was Seto Kaiba, and Atem had first run into him before he'd even been given the job. He was very charming, and had apparently taken a liking to Atem, having put in a good word for him._

 _"The thought is mutual," he replied, placing the paperwork aside. "Have the days been treating you well?" It felt so odd using this kind of language, but as he had learned in his last few days here, this job was the next level up from his last one, and therefore more professional; he had to ensure his mannerisms were up to scratch with his position._

 _"Not as well as right now," he replied with an easy smile, "I've been intending to ask if you'd like to join me for dinner."_

 _Even as he stood in Atem's office, somewhat casually leaning against the desk, he looked so incredibly…perfect. Not a hair was out of place, each word and movement was carefully precise, not a crease could be seen on his suit, and Atem imagined he exercised great organisation in every aspect of his life. To Atem, he was careful and safe and predictable; nothing at all like Yusei._

 _Stop it. "I would love to." He had hoped it didn't sound as forced as it was, trying to banish certain thoughts to try and replace them with others. He was going to find a place here. He_ had _to._

"I uh," Yusei began after taking a sip of his coffee, and Atem wondered if he'd imagined the shakiness of the man's voice. If not, it disappeared after Yusei cleared his throat, "I heard you snagged a rich guy," he said, surprised at how easily it slid off of his tongue.

Atem's eyebrows rose before he could think to stop them. _How on earth did he hear about-_

 _Oh wait, Anzu would have told him._ His expression turned to one of distaste, "Ugh," he responded, placing his mug down on the coffee table. "What a disaster that was."

Yusei seemed genuinely curious, "Disaster?"

"Yeah," Atem sighed, shaking his head, before looking to the side. "He was the CFO of the company. Tall, charming, handsome, all the fairytale shit. We went out on a few dates; he spent a lot of money trying to impress me, and then started expecting things in return. The charm and smooth talk was just a façade; he was a downright asshole."

Yusei looked somewhat sympathetic, "...What was he expecting from you?"

Atem looked to the side, "Sex, mainly."

At the involuntary horrified look Yusei gave him then, Atem quickly added, "I didn't do it though. As soon as I realised he was a prick, I ended it." He took a sip of his coffee as Yusei nodded, and they fell into a silence. Was it awkward now that Atem's failed attempt at moving on had been brought up? Had Yusei tried to do the same? Perhaps this was the perfect time to ask.

Taking a quick breath that he didn't need, Atem spoke again. "What about you?" he asked, "Done any better?" he joked.

Yusei shook his head, "I uh, haven't actually met anyone else since you." he admitted. "I've just been trying to get the garage up and running." Atem nodded, and was about to ask how Yusei's business was going, but the man spoke before he could. "Why'd you decide to come back?" he asked.

Atem placed his mug down on the coffee table. Not wanting to lie to Yusei, he sighed, "It was a disaster," he admitted sadly. "My boss was an asshole, the hours were crap, each person was just trying to shove the other down to get to the top…" he shook his head, and Yusei simply sat and listened. He had always been good at listening. "Then after things blew up with Seto, he somehow managed to make the place even worse. It wasn't until I…" Atem had barely realised that he'd drifted off, until he found himself stuck in another memory.

 _The clock had just hit 6pm, and Atem was sitting at his desk, trying to organise the piles of work he had been given. How on earth was he going to get all of this done by the end of the week?_

 _He ran a hand through already messy hair, just as a figure strutted into the room, holding another pile of papers. As Atem looked up to see who it was, his stomach dropped. Great, it was_ him _._

 _"Just thought you'd be the best man to finalise all these orders for me," he said, dumping the pile onto Atem's desk with a hard thud. Usually he was civil enough during work hours, but at the moment it was so late that barely anyone was still in the building. Atem didn't bother with a response, and he simply glared up at the man. "Excellent, I thought you'd agree," he grinned, before turning to strut back out of the room. Before he walked through the door though, he stopped. "Oh, and my offer for dinner on Saturday still stands, in case you wanted to make up for that horrible display last week," he said, giving Atem a smirk over his shoulder._

 _The man at the desk tried to harden his glare, "I already declined your offer."_

 _With a shrug, the man turned back and continued to leave, though not without raising his voice so that Atem could hear his last sentence. "In that case you might want to double check your budget for next week. I heard that Finance were going to cut a few." And with a deliberate and elegant wave, the man disappeared._

 _Atem had only lasted a few moments before dropping his head into his hands. Why did I have to try and date the_ head _of Finance?_

"…I…" When Atem noticed that Yusei had been waiting for him to finish his sentence, he cleared his throat. "I mean I, well, eventually I admitted that it was probably the worst decision I've ever made." He avoided Yusei's gaze then, "Definitely the stupidest."

The other man simply stared at him for a moment, as the words sunk in. _Is he talking about taking the job, or leaving me? Or both?_

Not being able to bear the silence that had filled the space between them after what Atem had just divulged, he quickly began to talk again. "But," he added, "I've found a nice little job back here, not much but it pays the rent. I've just been doing that for the last month or so."

Yusei couldn't be bothered trying to keep his thoughts to himself anymore, as he looked at Atem with sad eyes. "Why didn't you come back when it started turning sour? You know I would've forgiven you."

The man in question then felt a tug at his heart. Even after being such an asshole, Yusei would have really taken him back?

Atem glanced at his feet, remembering each curse and insult, every time he had disregarded Yusei's feelings, and wanted to curl into a ball. "Even if you would have," he replied, "That doesn't mean I deserve it."

Yusei, Atem had known, wasn't always the person to hold things back-unless he had a very good reason to-which was why Atem had been confused that he was acting so strangely today. Even with this in mind though, he wasn't quite prepared for the next thing that came out of the man's mouth.

Yusei had pressed his lips together, and considered saying something else, but he didn't want to. He set his jaw, "Does that mean I shouldn't still want you?" He murmured.

Atem had been reaching for his mug, but the second those words registered he froze. _What?_ He turned to his ex with wide eyes, speechless. The expression made Yusei start to babble to try and make up for it, knowing that it probably was the worst thing to say.

"I mean I know you've moved on and all and that's fine, I just-well I didn't want you to think that I hated you or anything, I mean I was really annoyed at first, and quite upset really, but that was a while ago and-"

During Yusei's babbling, despite how endearing it was, Atem couldn't manage to focus on what he was saying. All he could hear was that one sentence, and it played over in his head numerous times before he could manage to move. When he did though, the gesture was certainly enough to shut Yusei up, because Atem had all but jumped forwards and kissed him.

If anyone had asked the pair later what they had been thinking at this moment, they both would have drawn a blank. Yusei may have faintly recalled his body freezing in unconcealed shock, and Atem may have remembered the fact that he didn't pull away, but they'd both hold in their minds every moment after Yusei recovered and began to kiss back. He almost instinctually wrapped his arms around a thin waist, welcoming the taste of those lips as Atem all but sighed against his own. They were actually _kissing_. After all this time, they were on Yusei's couch and Atem could feel that warm breath each time they parted, and it made his head spin.

It was almost unbelievable how much Atem had missed this. The warmth of those lips, the feel of Yusei's hands on him, it was so surreal, it was like being thrown back six months to when they had been inseparable. His heart pounded as he moved closer, tangling a hand in dark hair and relishing the feeling of being so close after being apart for so long. He could feel the rapid rhythm of his heart, urging him not to pull away; that was the last thing he wanted to do. He could feel Yusei's hands gripping the sides of his shirt, and that encouragement was enough for him to gently push against Yusei's chest, as the man leaned back against the arm rest.

Any sort of thought against their current position had been discarded the minute their lips had met, and Yusei was completely overwhelmed with the feel of the man above him. Atem's chest was pressed against his own as their lips moved together, and he could feel one hand cradling the back of his head, but it just didn't feel like _enough._ After all this time, he craved the man's touch in every way possible.

Atem wasn't done yet though, and when they broke apart for air his lips were suddenly trailing their way across a jawline, and Yusei rolled his head to the side, old memories telling him that he would _love_ what happens next.

Those few minutes they were tangled together on the couch were a haze of bliss, as Atem's hands and lips wandered the way they used to, as he tested to see if he could still remember every spot that would gain the best reaction from Yusei. He placed his lips at the base of Yusei's neck, just above his collar bone, and he felt those hands curl into his back, scrunching Atem's shirt within fists, as the man let out a heavy breath.

Their breathing was heavy and their hands were constantly moving, grasping at each other and setting new memories in place of the old ones. They'd look back on this and remember how hot breath danced across skin, and the way that Yusei, too, remembered the exact spot below Atem's ear that used to drive him _wild._

Having pressed himself further against that body, Atem was tasting the coffee on Yusei's tongue as their kiss continued. It was breathless and desperate and so filled with need that he was sure one of them were about to make another move-one that could either fling the situation forwards or bring it to a screeching halt.

Before either of them could make that move though, there was the sound of a car door slamming from just outside Yusei's house.

Quickly pulling back, Atem's head whipped around to look out the window, and he saw that the mechanic had just arrived. He then looked back to Yusei, who had also been looking out the window with wide eyes. There was a moment of them awkwardly staring at each other-with Atem still hovering over Yusei-before he jumped up off of the couch and darted over to the door, quickly trying to flatten his hair while his heart pounded in his chest. Yusei sat up on the couch as he watched the man answer the door-still looking very flushed and a little flustered-before leading the mechanic over to his car to have a look.

Yusei absently reached up to grab a fist full of his shirt, right above his heart. He could hear the rate that his blood was pumping at in his ears. He tried to think to himself whether that was a good idea or not, but all he could think of was how amazing it felt to be wrapped in Atem's arms again.

A little over ten minutes later and Atem had walked back in the front door, looking slightly more relaxed but his hair was still a bit of a mess-that may have been Yusei's fault, though he didn't want to imagine what his own hair looked like.

"You were right," Atem said, awkwardly standing just inside the door. "About the alternator belt, I mean."

Having not quite understood until Atem clarified, Yusei nodded, placing hands in pockets as he stood a few metres away, "Ah. So it's all fixed?"

"Yeah." Atem nodded as he looked around, feeling the discomfort between them growing every second. All he wanted to do was close the gap again, but despite their actions only minutes ago he was still hesitant. He had hurt Yusei, he couldn't take that back.

Yusei had been avoiding looking at Atem also, not wanting him to leave yet not knowing what to say.

"Um-" It was just as he opened his mouth though, that Atem finally took a step towards him.

"Okay I know you said you were over it," the man began, moving forwards so that he was only a metre away, looking Yusei in the eye now. "And you can tell me to shut up whenever, but I need to say this."

Yusei stared down at his ex with raised eyebrows, and he nodded, urging the man to continue.

Atem would have kept speaking even without Yusei's permission, but that did make him feel slightly better. He let out a quick sigh, before the words began to tumble out. "I was a complete and utter asshole. My head was so far up in the clouds about the new job that I didn't once really consider how it affected you. I was so…selfish, I mean, you deserved _none_ of what I did to you, and in turn I deserved everything that happened to me, I mean-that was probably the worst six months of my life, but-"

Yusei was looking down at Atem as he spilled out everything that had been on his mind, and he could hear through the tone of his voice that the man was slowly unravelling in front of him. He closed a fist at his side, it was all he could do not to pull the man into his arms like he used to.

"But all I can think about is how much I must have hurt you," he continued, and now he was looking up at Yusei with glassy eyes. Those eyes that he never wanted to see looking at him like they were now. Like he was in pain. Yusei clenched his other fist.

"I don't deserve your forgiveness or anything, but I just-I needed you to know that I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry." Atem knew what was coming now as he clenched his jaw, only half way through apologising. His throat was burning and vision was blurring, but there was nothing he could do to stop it now. He threw his hands into the air as the first tear spilled down his cheek. "I-if there was a way I could go back and deck myself in the face, I would do it over and over."

If the man had given Yusei a chance to, he would have only been able to helplessly breathe out his name. He had no idea that Atem had been hurting this much over his decision.

"Not only to stop myself from hurting you, but to knock some fucking sense into me because-" Atem wiped a hand over his cheek, to stop the stray tear, but there was only more to follow, "-because it shouldn't have taken being apart to realise that you were the best thing that had happened to me. But I threw it away," he gave up then, as more tears came, his voice wavering as they spilled down his cheeks. "I hurt you and I threw it all away for a job that was horrible and demanding and-" his rambling seemed to finally come to a stop, slowly, as he took a breath, dropping his head, "I'm sorry."

It was unbearable seeing Atem like this, and after taking a deep breath, Yusei only just managed to keep his voice even, "I already forgave you," he murmured.

Lifting his head up, Atem stared at him wide eyed, "You…you did?"

Yusei was looking down at him softly, nodding. "I spoke to Anzu a couple of months ago…"

 _"So…How is Atem going?" he asked, holding the phone up to his ear as he sat on the couch. He didn't want to sound desperate, he just needed to know. He had to know._

 _There was a slight pause. "Oh he's…yeah he's good. That job has him busy," she responded with an uneasy laugh._

 _Yusei rose an eyebrow, "That doesn't sound like a real answer," he said._

 _Anzu sighed, "I don't think you want to hear the real answer."_

"I've made peace with it," Yusei said, unable to resist reaching out to wipe away a tear from Atem's cheek. "You're forgiven."

It was there, as he looked up at those beautiful blue eyes filled those same soft hues that always pulled him in, that Atem spilled the last thing that had been on his mind. He hadn't planned on ever mentioning it, but his eyes were still filled with tears and Yusei's gesture had caused more to spill over, and his heart was about to burst from his chest.

"I'm still in love with you."

Those eyes widened ever so slightly, but the soft gaze stayed. Yusei placed his hands on Atem's biceps, those blue irises never leaving his. Atem could feel his heart beat pick up the minute he heard a sigh pass those lips, as it came out in the sound of his name. "Oh, Atem…" Those hands tightened their grip as Yusei began to smile at him. "I still love you, too."

There it was. The hope that had made itself evident in his chest ever since their kiss now unravelled with great speed, and Atem could barely stop the helpless smile that reached his face, then. He could barely contain himself, as he grabbed hold of Yusei's arms, hope shining in crimson yes.

"Do you think…" he hesitated for just a moment, before pushing forwards, "That we could…possibly try again?" he asked. If he were rejected, so be it. He had to try, he just _had_ to. Yusei just said that he still _loved_ him, that was as good a chance as anything.

Yusei's smile grew even more, as he lowered his head, biting his lip. "Yeah, I think we could."

If that wasn't the most endearing thing Atem had ever seen, he didn't know what was. His elation was evident then, as his smile grew so wide it almost hurt, and he wrapped his arms around Yusei, never wanting to let go. He could hear that heartbeat pounding in Yusei's chest as the man held him just as tight, smiling just as wide. He spoke into Yusei's shoulder, then, the shirt probably getting soaked by his tears. "I promise, I won't be that asshole ever again, I'll always think about how things affect you. I promise."

Yusei's smile wasn't fading, but as he pulled back, that was when Atem saw a single tear had run down his cheek. "Thank you," he murmured, moving his hands up to Atem's face, wiping away what hadn't been soaked into his shirt, and pressing their foreheads together. He closed his eyes, then. "I missed you so much."

Still smiling, and holding onto Yusei like he never wanted to let go, Atem closed his eyes as well. "I missed you too."

…

The room was filled with hot breaths and blissful sounds as the pair made love, having spent their evening curled up on the couch, doing nothing but enjoying each other's company. Now, every sense was heightened and every touch was euphoric as Atem grasped the sheets with one hand and Yusei's hair with the other. It had started slow and lazy, considering how late it was, but desire had taken over somewhere in the middle, and now Yusei was panting above Atem more and more after every push inside his lover.

Everything was building drastically; the pressure, the pleasure, the overwhelming sense of how they _belonged_ together like this. It was becoming too much for both of them, and Yusei dipped his head to trail kisses down Atem's neck, that hand tightening in his hair. They were close, he could tell. It had been so long since they'd last done this, some weeks before their breakup he assumed. He'd almost forgotten how amazing it felt to be with Atem, to feel his hands in his hair and those breathy sighs ghost over his skin.

Atem couldn't help but groan as Yusei's lips sent shivers down his spine, and he knew he was almost over the edge. "Yusei," he breathed, sending a wave of wonderful satisfaction through the man above him. "Kiss me."

Without hesitation, those lips had moved to capture his own, and just as he was pushed over the edge, Atem moaned into his mouth. Release had hit him like a crashing wave, as he held onto his lover and rode it out, Yusei's lips still brushing against his own and murmuring his name.

Once they'd both calmed down and cleaned up, they'd lay there together, limbs tangled amongst the sheets, two hearts beating fast and minds up in the clouds, satisfied and drowsy. Atem had rolled into Yusei to press soft kisses to the side of his neck, and Yusei hummed happily at the touch. "I love you," he murmured.

"I love you, too," came the soft reply, Atem nuzzling into his neck as a hand ran up his chest.

Yusei had been incredibly tired, and little up in the clouds, but he was completely certain when he turned his head and said, "Move in with me."

Atem looked up then, his hand still resting comfortably on Yusei's chest. "Seriously?"

Yusei smiled at him warmly, "Yes. I miss having you with me every night. I want it all. I want your lazy kisses in the mornings and your spiels about work in the evenings, I want your CD collection in the lounge and your hair gel in the bathroom. I want you here again."

Atem had smiled brightly at him then, leaning in to deliver a soft kiss, "How could I say no to that…"

As Yusei happily leant into the kiss, his hands holding Atem against him and his heart singing in his chest, he couldn't wish for anything more. Everything was balanced again, everything was right again.

They were happy again.


End file.
